New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-02
his own there would have been

no,need for silenc a.
SO, too, there we're many details Of his family at,
iafs Vi VINO was unapprlsed. 10 Is Uue
aVolueu Tue knowledge; after his SONS nocame
Hrowm men did not desire to lntrude upon them or
ms Affairs aud even while lived at MS house a!n
was WORK Irg with him on his memoirs sought 10
Keep aio # from the mlnuti@ OF his business ana
that OF MS family. All mention of the Vanderbilt
cOiIcsT ondence was thus at first wit hhed rom me-
but q Daily the General himself took me into ms
COM dience this subject though the fanny very
naturally had not desired to do so. ,,,.,.
There We're on the other hand, matters when ne
coniided 10 me that be did not disclose 10
MIS- Grant or 70 hls sons sons. th3 o" tbc "a,
The intcllirence which only had shared but he
still declined. He never. believe gave ali his
confidence every subject to any human being. oI
course. however his wife and family ana ms
closest friends saw more III MIN than ne supposed
they observed and perhaps discovered points III
his character which were less apparent 70 hinlSeiI
than to those whose efeS were snarpened oy anec-
tiOn and lifelong intercourse.
But though General Grant had the apparent WIS
dom to select the side that he wished I" sio" 10
any man. he was not ALWAYS wise III sctctlng TIC
individual to whom he showed H. ne greatest
INST axes IN his career the greatest misloriunes OF
his life, came from his misCh0Icc of friends. ne
mciimes seemed to know men mary ellOuslv wen
he detected the aims and wishes and characters OF
many who were close or sought 20 be close assocl-
ates; but ut other times he was absolutely bl'nu
to acts and traits that. were apparent 10
many lockers ON. those VINO P'?,cSseu
admiration and devotion could win Their way
We far, and sometimes very easily with NM ans,
MANY of these used him for their own purposes ~
10 his harm. Ferdinand Ward is, OF conrSc, the
conspicuous example | remember telling Horace
PorterO the enormous sums that Grant Thought ne
was making in business, and Porter, as pnsiners
man. replied that II was impossible 10 make tneui
legitImately that there must DC something wrong
Of which the General was ignorant. re ioId me
afterWard that he went once 10 Grants house 10
warn him against Ward, whose conduc' seemed 70
HIM d ngerous ii not suspicious, bur tia whie ne
was there Ward was announced ana tne manheI W
the General TO his partner va such that Porter,
Gran re
feel warranted III uttering what ne ie'reu' IL
would probably have been useless 10 attemDt 10 IN
terfere. Mrs Grant herself had her anXietIes ana
quspiccns IN regard Ward, bat was unable
to insinuate tlcm More than once, indeed she eau
toned General Grant against his in'i'nates,
but in VAIN. He was the most steahiaSt
man imaginable when his friends were assaiied,
If this was aIanlt nov rare. now nobe ialine
Grants friends or prOfesSed adne.entS o1teh
failed HIM. He lost many absolutely III his long
career; soldiers who once served hi!p az Wen Us
the country and the cause. with nearly luc'Hy
political champions, early Followers iell away
Others injured him because they pro- eSsed 10
adhere HIS political career WIS bllGhicd by
those whom he sustained III evil report ana E"od
report; his Presidency was less brilliant than 1t
might have been because OF the mistakes am ms
deeds of others: though there were some, conDt-
less who suffered unjustly because leuanlnN east
on { iem reflected oGIur on Grant. HIS business
fortunes course were ruined by those whom he
trusted absolutely.
Yet Grant hal a so as stanch and lova friends
rs any man IN history men who worked Tor MN
steadily. and sacrificed or subord mated Ihe!r own
interests TO MN ana HIS ialle' VI co"'So
II nav be said that they were
rewarded, for at time he mad the power to re,
ward he ,rly every service that could he rendered
him: and who can say that service rendered 10
such man absolutely pure hut men have iaIieh
away from others as great IN station ana power as
lie; and many adhered to Grant III his adversely
There were eras III his life when he needed all Ills
friends and all their efforts; all through MS mil
tary career in the johnson ImbrogIO. during hIs
two Presidential terms in tho struggle Tor a
third III the frlghtful financial disaster toward the
end, under he c.oud chat for while threateneu 10
obscnte even his fame-GU1 knows ne needed
friends and he always found them a. .tanch AZ he
deserved. No man has such friends and Keeps them
unless he earns Them ADAM BADEAU.